Gravel paths and hardcore

[Bjerreby]

I think I mentioned I am establishing my veggie garden round the house I built recently.

Right now I am sick and tired of paddling through mud. The paths in the garden look like this



My driveway is a totally different matter, because I have granite chips  on a very firm base, and leading to the front door, I have some rather plain flagstones.

My idea is to establish granite chip (gravel) paths everywhere between my no-dig veggie beds, and in this conection, I have just built a set of steps leading up to my raised herb bed, and round to the shed. The ground is heavy, sticky clay, and for the steps I dug away the top soil and put a good layer of hardcore (the bricks from the demolished chimney at the local dairy!). The result is fine.

However, laying hardcore by hand is hard work, and I can see a lot of work ahead of me if I have to put hardcore under all paths. So QUESTION!

Do I require hardcore under my gravel paths? The heaviest load they will be exposed to is my clogs and a wheelbarrow of compost!

Please help!

[Bjerreby]

[boldielocks]

Hardcore is normally used for construction of drives normally 4 to 6 inches deep, then the top layer is added, for instance gravel, tarmac or brick paving, including other sub layers.

For a path or even a patio I wouldn't use hardcore. Looking from the photo I think you need to get your drainage sorted, (water will not Darin through compacted hardcore). Also to lay hardcore correctly you would need a wacker plate.

I would take off 4 inches of top soil making sure any water can drain away. You may need to put in a channel to take the water away. (I cant say for sure without looking at the proposed path). You'll need to make the channel 6 inches deep and 6 inches wide and for a proper job put in a land drainage pipe.

Cover with your gravel to a depth of 4 inches deep. Don't bother with putting in a sheet of landscaping fabric under you gravel, its a waste of time and money and the weeds will still grow, the secret with gravel is to us the biggest size gravel, about no less than one inch. Weeds will take hold easier with smaller sizes of gravel.

Hope this helps.

[Bjerreby]

Thanks for the reply boldilocks.

I don't know if you ever saw the Fred Dibnah program, in which he described canal building. The Victorians made aquaducts watertight by lining them with fine clay. Well, it is that sort of material you see on my photo. It is a special kind of clay, and a farmer down the road has turned one field into a quarry. He sold the clay to the offshore drilling industry. I believe it is called "bentonite".

The upper half metre of soil is a dark, sticky clay, and under that, it is a mixture of clay layers. These have a variety of colours, some are even blue............I know, I dug my house foundations. They had to go 1.5 m down to where the clay has a constant moisture content in order to prevent movement.

I have a drain all around the house, where the concrete foundations are surrounded with coarse sand. But elsewhere, I doubt that putting in drains would make a jot of difference. The water doesn't get through the clay if it is compounded.

My veggie beds are however fine. I dug out 2 spade depths, loosened underneath with a fork, and filled in again incorporating 50% seaweed. The soil is excellent, and there is no waterlogging.

The only problem I have is the muddy paths. Any water collecting will run off ito the veggie beds from where it will drain away as explained above. I shall experiment using your recommendation.